OT: Kitchen Sink from hell...

So the sick seems to be clogged and not draining.

I've tried a short wire "snake" and not hit anything. It's attached to the garbage disposal. So I hit the disposal, the water in it drains away. I *think* the water is forced back into the main sink. When I shut off the disposal the water comes bubbling back up.

Soooo. Suggestions as to getting this thing cleared? Chemical drano? 4 foot snake? Longer snake? Professional help?

Faaaack. It's always something.

 

Remove the 'J' trap and clean it out.

 

"J" trap? What and where is this you speak of?

 

Google to the rescue. Bendy thing under the sink. I have a feeling tonight is going to be plumbing night. Lovely.

Thanks.

 

Look under the sink, the pipe leading out of the bottom of the disposal comes straight down then curves us (J) before running horizontally into the wall. Remove the 'J' shaped portions.

 

be prepared for SUPER-STENCH!

 

I'm good. I have almost no sense of smell to begin with.

 

Werd.


If You're super lazy....like Me....You can try dumping some bleach in the drain, let it sit for a while, then boil some water and dump it down behind the bleach. That MIGHT work. If not....then get You're gloves on and prepare to hurl.

 

If you have vinegar and baking soda around try this.

http://www.household-management-101.com/natural-drain-cleaner.html

I actually do this every other month to keep the pipes clean. Keeping grease and other crap outta the sink in the first place helps. IF that does not work, then glove up, make sure you have a bucket under the pipes when you open them up and let er rip.

 

This statement right there tells me that you need to call a plumber.

 

Naaaaaah, just go to Home Depot & grab the first orange apron wearing guy you spot. They'll fix you right up.

SRSLY, tho. It's not rocket surgery. Use common sense, maybe even take a couple of pics of the connections before you start, if you think you'll need them to see how it fits back... or if you might need them to get matching replacements from the aforementioned orange box.

Get EVERYTHING out from under the sink. get lighting all set up. Get plenty of towels & a bucket and some surgical gloves if you have them.

 

If it's a metal J-Trap, and it's more than a few years old, it will probably break when you take it off, or when you put it back. Save yourself the hassle, and pick up a replacement when you are at the HD. Kitchens usually use 1-1/2" stuff, Bathrooms use 1-1/4" Check yours before you go.

 

If the sinks on or near an outside wall, there should be a clean-out outside.

Pull that cap, and run the water in the sink. See if water is coming out the clean-out. If so, the clog is further down the line. If not then work on the p-traps.(or j traps as tigertown calls them.)

 

There won't be a clean out for the sink in VA outside the house, we have this stuff called snow...

 

No outside clean out for the sink. A small snake I borrowed from a neighbor didn't do the trick. Home Depot trip was in order. Picked up a bigger snake. Jammed that puppy in and started cranking my snake. Hmmm....sounds bad. Whateveh!

I got some nasty shit up out of the pipe after a few minutes. Re-attached everything. Ran the disposal and it drained out. Then worked on the main sink and got that drained. So I evidently hit the blockage. I will work on the crap in the drain with some of the concoctions mentioned here.

Buuuut. The bottom of the jtrap is leaking some now. It's a PVC pipe and I cranked it down pretty tight. I was worred that if I tried to do it any harder I'd crack the pipe. So maybe use some sort of thread tape? What say you oh mighty Beeb???

Mud

 

PVC is a compression fit, check the washer in that it's not twisted or cracked. Just buy a replacement kit for the J trap, they are cheap..

 

Measure it all up and just replace it all. Everything from the sink to the riser. It isn't expensive and you will thank me later. Get a bucket and be prepared for the nastiest smelling black water you have ever seen. After you get it all unclogged once a month boil a pot of water and pour it down the drain. This will help melt away any grease that starts to stick to the pipes.

 

Wouldn't recommend this if the garbage disposal was blocked. Food starts to decompose and creates a variety of chemicals and gasses. Ammonia may be among these. Add bleach and hot water and if you're close enough you will burn the shit out of your lungs and eyes. Enough of it and it could kill you.

Ammoniumchlorhydrate I believe.

 

By the time you figure out how to fix it properly, you'd have been better off getting a pro.

 

It's PVC fer cryin' out loud. It's not holding the crankshaft or the rods or the head. Or do you tighten those bolts/nuts DOD tight?

HAND tighten enough to compress, not crush the little tapered washers.

Wait, you DID note which side of the taper goes up?